CLEFT SENTENCES

CLEFT SENTENCES

In a basic sentence, no particular emphasis is expressed. Clefting a clause is a means of splitting the clause and moving the content before or after the predicate to produce a particular effect.                               

 It-cleft sentence:

• The information that comes after it is emphasised for the listener. The clause which follows the it-clause is connected using that and it contains information that is already understood. We often omit that in informal situations when it is the object of the verb:

• When a personal subject is the focus, we can use who instead of that.  We often omit who in informal situations when it is the object of the verb:

• --It was my husband who (or that) you spoke to on the phone.  (or It was my husband you spoke to on the phone.)---

BASIC CLAUSE:



SUBJECT : His performances

PREDICATE: attracted fans. 

IT–CLEFT CLAUSE:

EMPHASIS: It was his performances

THAT/WHICH/WHO –CLAUSE: that attracted fans.

Fill in the Blanks

Complete the second sentence so that it emphasises the underlined words. Do NOT use contractions.

We are not questioning your hard work.

It isn't

Fill in the Blanks

Complete the second sentence so that it emphasises the underlined words. Do NOT use contractions.

We should use that after adverbial phrases, e.g. under the mattress, on Monday, in the evening, etc.

We arrived in Madrid in the evening.

It was

Fill in the Blanks

My cousin told us what had happened.

It was

WH- cleft sentences:

In these sentences WHAT means THE THING(S) THAT. The WH-clause must contain a verb. In these structures, we can use an infinitive with or without to.Wh-cleft sentences are most often introduced by what, but we can also use why, where, how, etc

EMPHASIS ON THE ACTION:

Mike took Sally to the party on Saturday.

What Mike did was (to) take Sally to the party

The reason why, the thing that, the person/people who, the place where, the day when…

We can focus on an element of the sentence by using these structures with a relative clause. We use the relative pronouns in the same way we use them in any relative clause.

Fill in the Blanks

Complete the second sentence so that it emphasises the underlined words. Do NOT use contractions.

We checked all the windows.

check all the windows.

Fill in the Blanks

I used to live in that house over there.

The place

is that house over there.

Multiple Choice

______ enjoyed most of the trip was the food.

• What I

• All I

• It's what I

Multiple Choice

_____ everything started to fall apart.

• 2020 it was

• It was 2020 when

• 2020 was where

Multiple Select

David is ______ came up with the original idea. Choose TWO correct options

• the person who

• that

• the person that

• the person

Multiple Choice

Which sentence is INCORRECT?

• a.It was to pay the mortgage that he sold his new car

• b. The reason why he sold his new car was to pay the mortgage

• c. What he did to pay the mortgage is sell his car

• d. Paying the mortgage is why he sold his new ca